Method of extracting liquids from wet materials



June 2, 1953 J, RAND 2,640,342

METHOD OF' EXTRACTING LIQUID FROM WET MATERIALS Original Filed July 9, 1946 24\ 27- @f3 outmbT-L- .es 4. f2s 4.o

I N VENTOR.

Henry Rand BY ATTORNEY Patented June 2, 1953 METHOD OF'EXTRACTING LIQUIDS vFROM WET MATERIALS Henry J Rand, Bratenahl, Ohio, assignor to H. J. Rand Washing Machine Corp., South Bend, Ind., a corporation of Delaware Original application July 9, 1946, Serial No. 682,322. Divided and this application June 1, 1949, Serial No. 96,428

` 2 Claims. (Cl. 68-242) Clothes which have been washed have to be dried. The drying operation in connection with washing machines has always been a considerable problem and many types of driers require a good deal of time and hand labor. This has been overcome to some extent in machines wherein the washing operation is performed within a perforated cylindrical container within which the clothes are later dried during a spinning cycle. While -this has proved quite satisfactory compared to prior methods, it still leaves a good deal of water in the clothes and the inachines are expensive. Spinning produces vibration and requires high speed operation, and therefore requires heavy, expensive construction and rigid, expensive installation.

The object of my invention is to provide a simple method of washing and [drying clothes in which the clothes may be dried in the container in which they are washed, which method utilizes a machine which is economical to build and simple, safe, and efficient in operation, with less vibration Iand less complicated and expensive construction and installation, and in which the clothes will have the waterremoved from them to a greater extent than in machines heretofore known.

A particular feature of my invention is the provision of a collapsible bag of resilient material such Ias rubber which may be evacuated to cause atmospheric pressure to press the bag upon the clothes to remove water therefrom.

Another feature of my invention is the provision of a perforated impeller to facilitate draining.

Another feature of my invention is that the method is safe as there is no way children can be hurt by the series of steps employed in the method with it.

In the drawings, the single ligure is a view partly in section and partly schematic of a machine in accordance with the `present invention.

The machine for carrying this method oomprises a suitable container or support 6 which may be a metal tub having therein a lining of flexible water and airtight material l such as rubber which is rigidly attached to the tub 6 at the top as illustrated at 8. The machine may be an ordinary washing machine of the oscillating type using an impeller, the latter being an upstanding member mounted in a central position with respect to the flexible lining, the impeller being illustrated at 9 and the mechanism for operating the impeller to distribute materials during washing `and rinsing operations 2 n not being shown but being connected to the shaf I0. The rubber lining I is sealed to the impeller shaft as shown at II to prevent any leakage of air or water lat this point. The tub and lining 6 and 'I have openings therein at I2 connecting with a pipe I3 through which water and air may be pumped in and out oi' the lining. The tub has an opening therein at I4 to permit air to enter between the tub and lining and a cover I5 is provided through which the clothes may be inserted and removed and which will provide a vacuum seal for the rubber lining. The rubber lining 'l is shown at I6 in collapsed position as will hereafter be explained.

The two pipes I1 and I8 are for hot and cold Water, respectively, which may be mixed within the mixer I9. Water and air may be pumped in and out of the machine by the pump or compressor 20. I have discovered in my experiments that a diaphragm type of compressor used for paint spraying operates very eiliciently to pump both air and water and may be used for this purpose yat 20. The intake pipe 22 is made smaller than the outlet pipe 23 to prevent knocking when it handles water. A compressor type pump is not necessary, however, and any pump capable of handling water, moisture vaporV and air may be satisfactory. 4

The mixer, pump and washing machine" are yconnected to one another through al series of valves I, 2, 3 and 4. A clock and contact switching arrangement which is illustrated at 2| may be used to operate the valves in any desired time cycle. Mechanism for this purpose is well known and is not herein illustrated specifically.

In operation the cover I5 may be removed and the clothes inserted therein, a switch turned and vthe remainder of the operation be fully automatic by operation of the clock switching karrangement 2I. Clothes are placed within the rubber lining in an amount wherein the pi-leof clothing extends upwardly to a point slightly below the top of the agitator blades. Soap may be inserted at any desired time by removing the cover I5 and replacing it for further operation. The mixer I 9 may be set for any desired temperature of the water. The direction of iiow of water or air through 'the pump 20 is in the direction indicated by the arrow from pipe 22 to pipe 23.

To pump water into the machine, the valves I and 3 will be opened and the valves 2 and 4 closed. The water will then ow from the mixer I9 through valve I, pipe 22,` pump 2li, pipe 23, valve 3 and pipes 2li and I3 into the rubber bag.

3 Water and `air may be pumped out of the bag by opening valves 2 and 4 and closing valves I and 3. The flow will then be from pipe I3, through pipe 25, valve 2, pipes 2B and 22, pump 20, pipe 23, pipe-.2'I,` valve' Igandppe 28.to,theio utlet.

A typicalseries of :method-steps might; beas follows:

First, there is a soaking step. For this purpose the clothes will be inserted, the cover l closed, the valves I and 3 openedffand fthe-valvesfband 4 closed to pump Water into the rubberibag. Soap may be added, if desired, 4 before ,oraiter the water is pumped in. The ,impeller mayalso be oscillatecl during this operation if desired-to facilitate the soaking by distributing and agitating the materials.

The soaking Water may" then bef-pumped'out of the machine by closing valves I and 3 and, opening valves 2 and 4. At this point,'.the .ma chine may stop if desired in order to permit the insertion 4of :so ap rfor, 4Vthe. washing. operation.

,The ,machineimaythen .be restarted .and-.addiftionalwater rpumped into themachine by opening-valves I and-3 and closingvalveslZ ,.and4 tand.. soap added ,when A desired.

After a, sufficient period ,otwashing fthe. Water .-maynbe pumpedout .by opening valves .2..and.4 end closing valves I.. and 3.

Rinsing. Water. may. .tl-ien.. be addediby. opening valves I ,and 3; and closing. valves 2 .and.-4 yand afterY a desi-red .period of.` time `during which, of course, the impeller. 9 4may .again `beolierate'd. to distribute the materials, .this water ,may be pumped out by opening valves Zand-#1 and clos- Valves` I' and.3. As manyrinsingoperations may, ,of course,4 be,.performedas,desired Following. the..last. rinsing, step and, after' 'the watenis pumped out, the valves v2. and l remain open andthe valves Land. 3. closed.and the.'pump y.20 continues to operate to..pull.the:air .roinQthe,

inside vof the rubber .bag ...and pul1...a .vacuum therein. This. willcause. the. rubber. bag1to. collapse duefto atmospheric pressuresothat itniay .assume A.the vposition shown-at I6. During the flatter, vportion of this .vacuum ,on drying.. cycle the .sides of. .the iiexible.A element. it` may.. be drawn ,.togetherto Contact eachotherabove the .agitator as indicated by the dotted. .line.,.of,;the drawing. ...The atmosphere ...will exert a very high, pressure ,uponthebag forcingagreat 4deal of waterlfrom reduced, pressure.. created A. withimthel. bag. mois- .,ture vapors therein.are readily released and J.drawn ,out -by 4the .pump .l 20, thus drying the clothes ,more efectively. l,For,h'est Aresults, .a

,strainerisprovided Whichshouldbeas large as:

.practicablaf and'for this, purpose.l .provide, perforations 2 B .in the.. imp'eller through .whichthe water. may pass. After the [clothes have; been dredby rthis evacuationstep for asucient length of time, v airv may. .beper-mittedlto. enter It will be obvious to those skilled in the art that my method of extraction can be performed with various modications of the apparatus disclosed and I do not desire to be limited to the ,.disclosure. asggiven forlpurposes .of illustration -butjonlyto the-scope ofthe. appended claims.

For instance, While the container 6 has been de- Z`.scribed for illustrative purposes as a tub, it is obvious that other frameworks will suitably supor detergent but it is obvious that other detergentsmaybeused in this invention.

Thispapplicationis a division of my fio-pending application, Serial'No. 682,322, led July 9, 1946,

noWf-Patent No. 2,472,682.

I claim:

1. AThe .method otextracting liquids. from-wet ,materials whichconsistsofthe,step of confining .saidmaterials Within. a substantially ,completely closedzone ,of` confinement, maintainingsaid .materials in. an annular relation .within saidzone, withdrawing liquid end air vby vacuum from .Within saidzoneandfromsaidmaterials, main- .taining ,anarea above. said materialscompletely clear .of said materials but .not ,of air .and ,Water and while extracting, liquid ...and tairy from` said .materials, simultaneously. withdrawingthe Aliquid and air fromabove said .materials soastolcwer the y level of.. the. top. .of said coniining. zona.. and duringthe entire liquid, and air Withdrawal step maintaining ...the exterior. of .said comning. zone exposed to atmosphere.

2..- The method. ot extracting .liquids fromwet Jmaterials .which consists of .the step of coniining ,saidmaterials within asubstantially completely closed zone of confinement, maintaining. said materials :infanpannular relation .within said Z0ne, -withdrawing .liquid .andair by vacuum from within, said zone .andi from said materials, vv,con'b' pletely. closing said zone, maintaining, an area .abovesad materials completely .clear ofQsaid materials but. not of.. air .and water. and While extracting liquid and air from said materials, simultaneously Awithdrawing the liquid and air from abovesaid materials so as to lower, the level iof'pthetopof said conning. zone, and durirlgthe entire liquid and air withdrawal stepmaintainingA the exterior ,of saidconfming zone exposed to .atmosphere `HENRY J RAND.

References Cited in the 'jle of.: this: patent UNITED .-.STATESt lPATENTS Number Name Date 12,178,385 Alward Oct.f3l, 1939 #2,182,540 Hutchings Dec. 5, 1939 *2,449,634 ABaa-de "SeptjZl, 1948 '2,472,682 Rand fJune 7, 1949 FOREIGN i PATENTS -Number Country Date 1341,740 Greatritain "Jan. 22,1931 

